Mary Heilmann, Fearless Colourist and Singular Abstract Painter, Dies at 86
Mary Heilmann, a renowned abstract artist, passed away on August 14 at the age of 86 due to complications following a fall on Long Island. She was born on January 3, 1940, in San Francisco and relocated to New York in 1968, where she became an influential presence in the Lower Manhattan art community. Her first major retrospective took place at the New Museum during 2008-09. Heilmann's artistic style combined elements of Minimalism, Post-Minimalism, and expressive brushwork, garnering significant recognition. She showcased her work with Hauser & Wirth and 303 Gallery, and held solo exhibitions at Museum Ludwig (2010), Whitechapel Gallery (2016), Whitney Museum (2015), and Dia Beacon (2023). Her art is included in prominent collections, and she was awarded several grants. She is survived by her nieces and nephew.
Key facts
- Mary Heilmann died on August 14, 2026, aged 86, from complications from a fall on Long Island, New York.
- She was born in San Francisco on January 3, 1940.
- Her first institutional retrospective in New York was 'Mary Heilmann: To Be Someone' at the New Museum in 2008-09.
- She showed with Hauser & Wirth since 1997 and 303 Gallery since 2005.
- Solo exhibitions included Museum Ludwig (2010), Whitechapel Gallery (2016), Whitney Museum (2015), and Dia Beacon (2023).
- The Whitney featured her in the 1972 Annual and 1989 and 2008 Biennials.
- She taught at Stony Brook University and the School of Visual Arts.
- Her work is in collections including the Whitney, MoMA, National Gallery of Art, SFMOMA, Museum Ludwig, and Bonnefanten Museum.
Entities
Artists
- Mary Heilmann
- Peter Voulkos
- Ken Johnson
- Jessica Morgan
- Ben Luke
- Laura Owens
- Jessica Stockholder
- Elizabeth Peyton
- Richard Serra
- Dan Flavin
- Robert Smithson
- Carl Andre
- Ross Bleckner
- Ellsworth Kelly
- Donald Judd
Institutions
- New Museum
- Orange County Museum of Art
- Contemporary Art Museum Houston
- Wexner Center for the Arts
- Hauser & Wirth
- 303 Gallery
- Museum Ludwig
- Whitechapel Gallery
- Dia Beacon
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Stony Brook University
- School of Visual Arts
- Smithsonian's Archives of American Art
- Museum of Modern Art
- National Gallery of Art
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- Bonnefanten Museum
- Anonymous Was a Woman
- United States Artists
- National Endowment for the Arts
- Guggenheim Foundation
- Dia Art Foundation
- Tate
- The New York Times
- The Art Newspaper
- University of California, Berkeley
- Holly Solomon Gallery
- Pat Hearn's Gallery
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- State University of New York at Stony Brook
- Max's Kansas City
- Village Voice
- Artlyst
Locations
- New York
- Long Island
- California
- Lower Manhattan
- Bridgehampton
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- El Segundo
- Santa Barbara
- Berkeley
- Cologne
- London
- Ohio
- Washington, DC
- Maastricht
- Zürich
- Riverhead
- United States
- New York City
- SoHo
- East Village
- Avenue B
- Meatpacking District
- Hudson River